CVE-2016-4726 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
IOAcceleratorFamily in Apple iOS before 10, OS X before 10.12, tvOS before 10, and watchOS before 3 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4726 resides within the IOAcceleratorFamily component of Apple's operating systems, affecting iOS versions prior to 10, macOS versions prior to 10.12, tvOS versions prior to 10, and watchOS versions prior to 3. This flaw represents a critical security issue that enables attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code within the kernel context, fundamentally compromising the security model of these platforms. The IOAcceleratorFamily serves as a crucial component for hardware acceleration in graphics and compute operations, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks that could undermine the entire system security architecture.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the IOAcceleratorFamily kernel extension. Attackers can craft malicious applications that trigger memory corruption conditions when the system processes accelerator-related operations, leading to potential code execution with kernel privileges. This type of flaw typically manifests through buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that occur during the processing of untrusted input from user-space applications. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, both of which are commonly exploited in kernel-level privilege escalation scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4726 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges, effectively bypassing all security boundaries established by the operating system. This vulnerability can be leveraged for persistent system compromise, data exfiltration, and the installation of malicious software that operates below the detection capabilities of standard security tools. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability also creates potential for denial of service conditions, where system stability is compromised through controlled memory manipulation. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as privilege escalation through kernel exploits and persistence mechanisms that can be achieved through code execution at the kernel level.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to the patched versions of the affected operating systems, as Apple has released security updates addressing the root cause of the memory corruption issue. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected devices receive the necessary security updates. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous application behavior or unusual kernel activity patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of kernel security in mobile and desktop operating systems, as it represents a fundamental breach in the security model that can be exploited without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where device security is paramount.